Secret Service Arrests White House Fence Jumper With Suspicious Package

Escalated steps are being taken to keep intruders away from President Barack Obama and the First Family after another person was arrested for climbing the fence outside of the White House, CNN reports.

According to the news outlet, the incident occurred Sunday evening around 10:25 p.m., when officials spotted a person with a package scaling the 8-foot fence. They were quickly apprehended by the Secret Service and taken into police custody. A Secret Service official says the package proved to be harmless upon inspection.

“The individual is in custody and charges are pending,” the Secret Service said in a statement, not providing further information about the jumper.

Officials mentioned that steel spikes may be added to the White House perimeter fence. Eventually, they are hoping to build higher fences to deter jumpers.

This is just one of several incidents that have involved security breaches at the White House. Back in March, two senior Secret Service agents were allegedly drinking and driving and crashed into the White House fence. Another incident included a veteran who made it all the way to an unlocked door past the executive mansion.

Secret Service director Julia Piersondoesn’t plan on stepping down following the series of embarrassing intrusions. During a committee forum in September of last year, Pierson says she hopes to install automated locks on the front White House doors. She also added that some of the Secret Services’ fumbles can be attributed to a tight budget gridlock, which has affected the amount of officers the Service has to properly train.